Curbside Composting begins March 5, 2018

Curbside Composting carts are currently being delivered to residences and delivery will continue through February 23 or until completed. The first collection will begin the week of March 5, 2018.

This will become a third stream of collection in the Town’s curbside pick-up of garbage, recycling and now, composting.

It has been five years since the Town of Coaldale rolled out curbside recycling and now this spring it will add a third cart to the waste collection system, this time for curbside composting.

In order to accommodate yard waste, the composting carts will be picked up weekly from March 1 until November 30. Through December to February the composting carts will be picked up bi-weekly. As a result of the anticipated reduction in garbage brought in by the introduction of a composting cart, garbage cart pick-up will be moving to a bi-weekly pick-up once the composting carts have been rolled out.

There is no additional cost on utility bills to cover the curbside composting. It is being rolled out at no-cost to residents.

The following information will be delivered with your new composting cart & kitchen catcher:

Additional kitchen catchers can be purchased from the Town for $5 each. Payment can be made at the Town Office and they will then be delivered to your residence.

Background:

In 2017 tipping fees for processing Coaldale’s waste at the regional landfill rose to $85/tonne, an increase from $75/tonne in 2016. This increase will cost the town an additional $25,183 in 2017 just for tipping fees. With the yearly increase, we will hit $125/tonnes in 5 years or less which could cost the town an additional $100,733 a year just in tipping fees if the current garbage tonnage stays the same. In 5 years, our population will have increased which in turn drives up garbage tonnage so we could be looking at close to $500,000 just in tipping fees alone.

In 2012 curbside recycling was introduced to our community as the second stream of curbside waste collection. Now, 5 years later, curbside composting is the logical next step in reducing greenhouse gases, extending the life of our landfills and being environmental conscious. The materials that will go into the curbside compost carts will be turned into nutrient rich compost at the processing facility.